Passion's Ransom
by destiny465
Summary: After a random run-in with pirate Damon Salvatore, Elena finds herself captive on his ship, courtesy of his crew. Against both their wishes, they are forced together. However, Elena has her own secrets, and her presence on Damon's ship isn't as random as it first seemed. Will what brought them together in the first place, be the very thing that ends up tearing them apart?


_Hey guys, hope you like my story! It's Vampire Diaries characters, but set in a Pirates of the Caribbean world, so credit to the creators of both stories. Enjoy!_

_Elena Gilbert_

Elena grabbed the empty glasses from the counter and placed them on the side, slightly too roughly. She then took a rag, and started wiping down the bar. When she lifted the rag up, it was covered in a thick layer of grime and emitting a smell that told her there had been more than just spilt alcohol on the counter. She wrinkled her nose, and continued with her daily tasks. Her arms were sore, her legs ached, and she couldn't get the image out of her mind, of her warm, cozy bed at home, waiting for her when she had finished her shift. It was a tough job, being a barmaid, and yet it was all she had known for the last few years. Her mother's nursing job alone couldn't support them both, and so she was happy to do her part. Her father sent money regularly, of course, but they avoided using it if they could. It was blood money, after all.

"Elena! _Elena!_ Do you _see_ who just walked in?"

Elena avoided rolling her eyes, as she heard Caroline approach her from behind. Caroline had been a part of her life for as long as she could remember; they had been best friends since they were little girls, when Caroline had moved in to the house next door to Elena and her mother. Soon after, Caroline had become like a sister to her, though recently, it had been in a more literal sense. Since Caroline's parents passed away a year ago, Elena's mother had taken her in, and now, even more so, the girls were hardly seen apart.

"Elena! Don't ignore me. Look!"

Caroline's voice grew softer as she came near, which was unusual for her. People always commented on how different the two girls were, both in looks, and in nature. Where Elena had long, almost impossibly straight brunette hair, Caroline's hair shone golden, hanging in soft, bouncy ringlets down her back. And the differences didn't stop there. Elena was shy, reserved, and mostly tried to keep to herself, avoiding attention as much as she could. On the other hand, Caroline loved to be the center of attention, to the point where she almost craved it. And while some remarked on the peculiarity of such different people being such close friends, Elena felt that they complemented each other perfectly.

Caroline finally arrived behind the bar, and tugged on Elena's arm, breaking her out of her thoughts. She spun Elena to face out across the bar, where a loud, rowdy group of young men had just entered. Elena caught a glimpse of the hat on the head of one of the men, and audibly groaned.

"Pirates." She said flatly.

Pirates were definitely the worst kind of customers they received in the bar. They were the rowdiest, loudest, and messiest. Additionally, they were almost always already drunk when they walked in, which just translated to more spilt drinks and broken glass. Almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind, the group took their seats, knocking over a glass in the process. As it fell to the ground and shattered, Elena knew it was going to be a long night. The thought of her warm bed seemed even further away than before. She turned back to Caroline, confused. Pirates were annoying, certainly, but not unusual. In fact, this sight was quite common for her. They lived in Mystic Falls, a village right next to the sea, and many pirates used the port as a way to break their long journeys. The bar, in which Elena and Caroline worked, was just a few steps from the port, and so though pirates were her least favorite kind of customer, they were also unfortunately her most common.

"Not just _any _pirates. Elena, please don't tell me you don't know who _that _is." Caroline looked at her, shocked, before using her chin to subtly point to one of the men in the center of the group.

Elena turned to where she was pointing, and noted that it was the man wearing the hat she had noticed earlier. He was in the middle of telling a joke, and as she looked at him, the group around him erupted into raucous laughter. He sat back in his chair, a small smile on his face. The smile reeked of arrogance. As if he sensed what she was thinking, he looked over at her, at that exact moment, making eye contact. His eyes were dark, almost black, but they seemed to twinkle with amusement. As if he was laughing at a joke that only he knew. He lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, tipping his hat slightly back in the process, and letting Elena see a crumple of dark hair underneath, in a shade not dissimilar to her own. His smile disappeared initially, and he watched her intently, to the point where Elena started to feel flustered under his gaze. But she kept eye contact, not looking away. Where most people in Mystic Falls feared pirates, Elena detested them. She had her reasons after all. Almost as if he was impressed with her resolve, he rewarded her with a small smile, allowing her a flash of his dazzling white teeth. He tilted his head, calling her over.

"I better go take their order." Elena said, wearily. She started to move out from behind the bar, but Caroline pulled her back.

"Elena, please. I know it's technically your side of the room, but you _have _to let me take their table. Pleaseee, I'll owe you for life." Caroline pleaded.

Elena's curiosity finally got the best of her, and she turned, placing her back to the pirates. "Ok fine, you've piqued my interest. Who _is _that, and why are you so excited?"

Caroline shook her head, as if she couldn't believe her friend was so clueless. "That is _Damon Salvatore. _Pirate Prince of the Seven Seas!" She paused, waiting for Elena to reach her level of excitement. However when she saw that wasn't happening, she continued. "Ok, so you know how your father is Pirate King?"

Elena hushed her, and looked around worriedly, making sure that no one was in earshot. The bar was empty though, apart from the pirates, and they were too involved in their own rowdiness to be paying any attention. Caroline rolled her eyes at her paranoia, but Elena knew she could never be too careful. Her father's identity was a heavily guarded secret, that she and her mother had managed to keep for so long, since her father left when Elena was a young child. If _anyone _were to find out, it could reach the British soldiers, and then they would definitely use her and her mother, to lure Captain Hook into a trap. Elena winced at the thought of her father, and the memories that she couldn't stop from flooding back. When she had been young, she had idolized him. He had been her hero, playing games with her, taking her out for adventures on his boat. Or ship she should say. At her innocent age of six, she couldn't have possibly known the reality of her father's life. The terror he had spread through the world, the harm he had caused so many people. When at last she had been old enough to understand, her mother had sat her down and explained to Elena who her father really was, his identity as Captain Hook, and what his career as a pirate really entailed. She still remembered the horror she had felt, the repulsion at her father's actions to get where he was, and most of all, the betrayal. She had pictured him a hero, but he was the worst villain of all. Not just any ordinary pirate, but the King of them, their leader. He didn't just enact terrible behavior, he inspired it in others. Since that day, Elena's hatred of pirates was ingrained in her. She detested them, and their actions, with every part of her soul. She pushed away the memories, before the tears threatened to fall. Noticing, Caroline squeezed her hand, before continuing.

"Sorry, I mean you know how Captain Hook is the Pirate King? Well Damon Salvatore is his right hand. He's tipped to take over, when Captain Hook di-, I mean when he's gone. He started as an absolute nobody, and his rise through the ranks had been _meteoric_. They say he's smarter than any pirate before him, _including _Hook! He's managed to loot so many merchant ships, without hurting anyone. He's the best at what he does, and did I mention? He is absolutely _breathtaking!" _Caroline trailed off with a sigh, looking over Elena's shoulder dreamily.

Elena held back a small smile. Caroline supported her in absolutely everything, but Elena's hatred of pirates was something that they definitely did not share.

"Go, go. Don't worry, I have _no _interest in being in that area." The words were barely out of her mouth, before Caroline had hurried away. She watched, as Caroline went over to Damon. They spoke, Damon grinned, and Caroline laughed prettily. After Elena was sure Caroline had the situation under control, she resumed cleaning the bar.

An hour later, Elena was standing in the alley behind the bar, staring at the urine-drenched wall with distaste. She dipped a cloth into the water pail she had brought with her, wrung it out, and sighed. This job certainly was not glamorous. After she had been scrubbing for at least forty-five minutes, she was left with the last stain. It was above head-height, and she found herself wondering how it was even possible to urinate that high. Men really were disgusting creatures. As she was looking up at the stain, debating how to reach it, a voice drifted across the alley towards her.

"Need help?"

Elena looked over and saw Damon leaning against the opposite wall, watching her with humor in his eyes. He was lounging against the wall, with his hands in his pockets, in a position that anyone else would have looked awkward in. He, on the other hand, seemed to be effortlessly at ease.

"I'm good, thanks. But if you've come to contribute with the addition of another stain, you can think again." Elena replied, drily, and turned back to her previous dilemma. She was staring intently at the water pail, debating on its sturdiness and ability to carry her weight, when she felt herself being lifted up into the air. She held in a shriek, and looked down to see Damon Salvatore carrying her, looking slightly less elegant than he had been before.

"What are you _doing?_" She asked, surprisingly calmly all things considered.

"What does it look like? Helping, of course. Now get scrubbing, you're actually heavier than you look." He replied, with the slightest trace of amusement in his voice.

Elena wanted to kick him, but she wanted to finish up her shift even more. And so she bit her tongue instead, scrubbed faster than she ever had before, and completed her work in the alley. When she was done, he placed her down on the ground in front of him, more gently than she had assumed he was capable of. Though she hated to admit it, now that he was in close proximity, she realized Caroline had been right. He was absurdly handsome.

"See, that wasn't so bad now, was it?" He smirked at her, as if he expected some kind of thank you. Well, she knew that wasn't coming anytime soon. She nodded instead, and went to pick up the water pail.

"Allow me." He cut in, and lifted up the heavy pail with ease. He then reached out to her with his other hand. "Damon Salvatore. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Elena bit her lip, reminding herself that he was a paying customer, so she couldn't be too rude. She was also surprised he was willing to shake her hand after seeing what she had just been scrubbing. "Elena Gilbert." She eventually replied, offering him her hand, somewhat reluctantly. He took it, and placed a light kiss on it, again surprising her with his gentleness. All she had known of pirates was their roughness in the way they conducted themselves. She followed him back inside the bar, and was met with the sight of Caroline finishing up a jug of beer, while the other pirates cheered her on. Worriedly, Elena made her way towards the table.

"Hey, Caroline, are you ok?"

"Elena! These lovely men asked me to join them, and I took them up on that invitation. I'm sorry, I'll come help you in a few minutes, I promise!"

He words were apologetic, but her face shone with excitement. Elena could tell that she was having the time of her life, and she wasn't about to take that away from her best friend, however much she disliked the men surrounding her.

"Don't worry about it. I'm almost done anyway." She said, squeezing Caroline's shoulder to reassure her it was alright.

"Elena, Elena, Elena. Why don't you join us too, there's plenty of beer to go around." Damon swept an arm across the table, grinning mischievously.

"I know, I'm the one pouring them." She replied, drily, before walking away, back towards the bar. Behind her, she heard Damon whisper something to Caroline, who giggled. Elena rolled her eye, and wished more than ever she could go home to her bed.

Two hours later, and the beer had finally dried up, driving the pirates away, one by one, back to their ships. Only Damon and Caroline remained, whispering to each other at the table, while Elena finished up all of her tasks. She had been keeping an eye on Caroline over the course of the night, and her worry levels had been slowly increasing. Caroline was now slurring her words, and her eyelids had started drooping.

"Okayy, I think it's time to go, Car." Elena said, walking back over to the table.

"Mhmm." Caroline replied. "Elena, Elena, considering we work in a bar, we really don't drink enough! We should do this more often." Caroline then trailed off, mumbling something intelligible. She stood up, shakily. As she moved away from the chair, she stumbled, and Elena regretted not taking her home sooner. She placed Caroline's arm around her neck, and tried to hold her up straight, but she slumped under her weight. Getting her home was going to be trickier than she had expected. She was pondering her dilemma, when she felt Caroline's weight on her decrease.

"So, where are we headed?" Damon asked, Caroline's other hand around his neck. Elena wanted desperately to refuse his help, but she knew she couldn't get Caroline home by herself. So despite her distrust of Damon, and pirates in general, they started walking slowly towards her house. Progress was slow, and after a certain point, they were essentially dragging Caroline along, while she snored softly. Damon tried a few times to start up a conversation, but after a while he realized he wasn't getting anywhere, and they continued on in silence. After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached. Damon waited in the living room, while she tucked Caroline in. As she turned to leave, Caroline grabbed her wrist.

"Isn't he _dreamy?_" She mumbled. Elena didn't even have a chance to respond, before Caroline had fallen asleep again. She shook her head, smiling slightly, and closed the bedroom door gently behind her. She was met with the sight of Damon Salvatore, Pirate Prince, standing in the middle of her living room. She was thankful that her mother had gone away to the neighboring village for a few weeks, so she wouldn't have to explain Damon's presence in their house, in the middle of the night.

"Fun night, right?" Damon asked, matching her smile.

"I'm not sure 'fun' is the right word." She replied, her own smile fading, as she pondered how to get rid of him. "_Long_, maybe." She looked pointedly towards the front door, but Damon either didn't see, or chose to ignore the hint. He started moving around the living room, exploring the area.

"Nice house. Surprisingly big." He commented.

Elena didn't reply. The house had been bought by her father, and she usually chose to ignore that fact. She was always worried that someone would get suspicious one day. Her job as a waitress, and her mother's as a nurse, should not have been able to allow them to afford this size house. Elena turned away from him, and looked longingly towards her bedroom. She was so close to being able to sleep, and yet…

"Wow, you _really _don't like me, do you?" Damon asked, settling down into a chair. Elena groaned internally. Why wouldn't this man just let her sleep?

"Not you specifically. Your kind." She replied. She remained standing, she wasn't going to give him the idea that she wanted this conversation to continue.

"My _kind_?" Damon, laughed, incredulously. She hated to admit it, but his laugh was contagious, smooth like honey.

"Pirates." She added, not that she owed him an explanation. "You're rowdy. And loud." It wasn't completely the truth about her feelings about pirates, but it would do for now.

He stood up abruptly, and she wondered if she had offended him. She briefly felt a twinge of guilt, but it faded fast, as she realized he would probably leave if he was indeed offended.

"Why aren't you scared of me?" He asked, approaching her. His eyes were narrowed slightly, but rather than looking menacing, he just seemed genuinely curious.

She forced herself to stay still, as he came close to her. He was tall, at least a head higher than her, and she had to look up to keep meeting his gaze.

"Should I be?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Most people are."

He was now so close to her, that she could feel his breath on her cheek. It had the faintest smell of cinnamon, and she immediately hated herself for noticing that.

"I guess I'm not most people then."

He didn't reply, but stayed in close proximity to her for another minute. He didn't speak, but continued to stare intently at her, clearly intrigued. Almost as suddenly as it had started, he backed up, and walked towards the front door.

"Well, you don't need to fear me, but you could at least thank me. I don't make it a habit of helping out people I just met you know. The least you could do is show some manners."

He said the words casually, but for the first time in their conversation, Elena felt he had a point. Pirates were still people after all. As he swung open the door, and stepped out into the night, she followed behind him.

"Thank you, Damon Salvatore."

He turned back to her, and tipped his hat ever so slightly. "It's Captain. And you're welcome, Elena Gilbert." A small smile lingered on his face, as he disappeared into the darkness, in the direction of his ship, she assumed. She was still processing what a strange night it had been, and so she didn't notice the dark shadow slip into the house behind her.

_Damon Salvatore_

"This is _not _okay." Damon hissed, angrily, looking into his cabin on his ship, the Black Pearl. Inside, lying on his bed, was the girl from the previous night. Elena Gilbert, he recalled her name. He closed the door gently, ensuring he didn't wake her up. He turned back to face his crew, who were looking at him, with fear in their eyes. As they should.

"_Who _did this?" He said forcefully, raising his voice slightly, now that the door was shut.

A man, that Damon didn't recognize, pushed his way to the front of the crew, raising his head to meet Damon's gaze.

"Me, Captain."

"Damon, this is Grip. He just joined our crew at the last port." Billy said, from beside Damon.

Billy was like a father to Damon. After his parents died young, Captain Hook had taken Damon in, with the intent of raising him. However, his busy schedule hadn't made that possible, and so Hook had given Damon to Billy, a former member of his crew. Billy had then raised Damon as one of his own, treating him like his own blood. From that moment, Billy had never left Damon's side. Even now, though Damon finally had his own ship and crew, Billy remained at his side, forever faithful to his adopted son. At that moment, as though he could read his thoughts, Billy squeezed his shoulder, urging him to remain calm.

"Explain yourself." Damon said, tightly. He was doing his best to listen to Billy, and keep his cool.

"I followed the three of you, after you left the bar last night. I saw the girl's house, it was huge! She definitely has money, and so I thought she would make a great captive. I snuck in later that night and took her. It was almost too easy. Listen, Captain. It's a solid plan. I already left a note in the house, explaining the deal, and asking for ransom. In a few weeks, the family will get the money together, send it to us, and we give the girl back to them, safe and sound. No one's hurt, and we make a few bucks out of this." Grip said, excitedly. He looked smug, as if he had just come up with the greatest plan in the world.

Damon rubbed his temples, trying to reduce his blood pressure. He was absolutely furious.

"And you didn't think to run this _excellent _plan by me first? You just kidnapped her? You know we don't do that kind of thing."

"Of course we do! We're _pirates!_ And if you haven't been doing this, you've been missing out. This is the _easiest _way to make money, better than looting some old merchant ships. There's no danger, nobody's going to come after us, not for some random village girl. We'll get our money, and then send her back. No harm, no foul. You'd be stupid not to consider this." As soon as he said it, Damon could see that Grip regretted his words.

Damon clenched his fist, wanting so badly to shove it into Grip's face.

"Uh-I mean, look, we've already set sail. Going back now would be a waste of time. Let's just see this one kidnap through, if you don't like it, we don't have to do it again." Grip said, finally sensing that Damon wasn't as big a fan of this plan as he himself was.

Damon took off his hat, and ran a hand through his hair. As he often did in these situations, he turned to Billy for guidance. If it was up to him, he would have thrown Grip off this ship by now, and returned Elena back to the shore. Billy shrugged.

"Going back _would _put us way behind schedule." He said, reluctantly. Damon could tell that he wasn't thrilled with this idea either, but he had a point. Additionally, Damon had now started to doubt his own motivations. He _liked _Elena, he had realized last night. They had barely spoken, but she seemed to have a fire within her, which he enjoyed. And she hadn't been scared of him, or all over him either. Women usually went one of the two ways, after they met him. So was he only against this whole kidnap idea because of his personal feelings? If it was anyone else, would he have thought this was a good plan? He wasn't sure anymore, and so it was probably best to go with Billy's opinion.

"Ok." He eventually said, and Grip visibly sighed with relief. Before he could relax too much though, Damon grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the side of the ship. "But if you _ever _do something reckless like this again, without my permission, things won't go so smoothly for you." He hissed into his ear. He was pleased to see a bead of sweat run down Grip's forehead.

"Yes, Captain." Grip croaked, shakily.

Damon let him go, and turned back to face his cabin. Billy handed him a glass filled with water. "Go, give it to her. She's going to have plenty of questions."

Damon took the glass from him, and took a deep breath. It was odd. He had been into plenty of battles, had risked his life again and again, and yet, the thought of facing Elena Gilbert right now, sent the tiniest spike of fear through him. One thing was for sure, she was going to be _angry. _

_Elena Gilbert_

Elena opened her eyes, sleepily, as she felt the sunlight stream across her face. For a moment, she felt content and well rested. More relaxed than she had in a long time. That feeling didn't last very long. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, a feeling of dread slowly rose up inside her. She wasn't in her bedroom. She looked around the small room, her levels of fear increasing with every second. There was a small desk in the corner, with maps spread out across it. Apart from the bed, and a small chair, that seemed to be the only furniture present. Noticing a small window, Elena got up from the bed and walked over to it, trying not to panic too soon. Not before she knew what was going on. She looked out, and the sight that she was greeted with caused her fear levels to overflow, and her heart to thud so loudly, she was sure anyone passing by could hear it. All she could see was water, for miles and miles, in every direction. She finally registered the ground beneath her rocking, as it dawned upon her that she was on a boat. At that moment, as she was about to scream, the door swung open behind her. She whirled around, and backed up into the window, trying to get as far away from the door as possible. Though in that small cabin, it wasn't very far.

Damon Salvatore stepped inside, closing the door behind him. She chose scream internally, in despair. Why was this happening to her? His expression was indecipherable, as he moved closer to her. She looked at her nearby surrounding, searching for a weapon, for anything that she could use against him. But there was nothing. Guessing what she was doing, he held up his hands, in a reassuring manner.

"Relax. It's just water." He handed her the glass, and then stepped back quickly, giving her space again. He looked surprisingly apologetic.

"What did you do to me? Where am I? Take me back!" She was trying to stay calm, but the questions came out panicked. Something flashed across his face, but it was gone too quickly before she could decipher the emotion.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Don't worry, we're not going to hurt you. Your parents have been informed. When they pay us, we'll take you back. This will be over before you know it." He said the words calmly, without emotion, as if this was a daily occurrence for him. It probably was. The panic rose in her again, as she processed what he was saying. These pirates were holding her captive, until her mother was able to pay the ransom, she assumed. But her mother was away, it could be weeks before she'd come back. And there was no way Caroline could afford whatever ransom they were asking for. She wasn't even sure if her mother could afford it. She tried to translate her fear into anger, and she directed that anger towards Damon.

"How _dare _you? I invited you into my _home! _You had the audacity to demand a _thank you_ from me." She spat at him. He didn't visibly react or respond, letting her say her piece. She shook her head, so annoyed at herself too. How could she have been so stupid? Because of her father, she had always distrusted pirates, almost her whole life, and yet because of one handsome, smooth talking pirate, now she was here. Feeling the despair, she sank back down onto the bed.

"These next few weeks will fly past. And then you'll be back in your own home. Think of this like an adventure."

_Adventure? _Elena couldn't believe what she was hearing, and finally her anger overflowed. She took the glass he had given her, and hurled it towards him, with all the strength she could muster.

His reflexes were lightning quick though, and he ducked just in time. The glass smashed into the door behind him, disrupting the silence. He looked down at the shattered glass on the floor, and then back at Elena.

"And you say pirates are rowdy." He shrugged one shoulder, and left the room, leaving Elena alone with her whirling thoughts. The thought of her own bed was now further than ever before.

_Since it's the first chapter, just want to get a sense of what you guys are thinking, and if you like it, so please leave a review, let me know what you thought, if you found the concept interesting so I know if it's something I should carry on with, thanks!_


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